Root
The first time I heard the news story about gay men being detained, tortured, and even killed in Chechnya was on April Fool's Day. I could have said many things about the timing alone but, my sense of humor only lent itself enough for me to chuckle at the concept of a holocaust-like event happening in this day and age. My disbelief and error of judgment were quickly replaced with shock, horror, and fear once I realized the story was real.
I immediately did what most people who frequent the internet would do upon finding a huge news-worthy story. I signed onto Reddit and I started to share the link over several subreddits, most of them LGBTQ-related but, only two news-related.
After I had posted the link to the two news-related subreddits (r/news and r/inthenews), I immediately received messages in my inbox informing me that I had been banned from both subreddits permanently. I have been on the internet in some way, form, or fashion for a very long time and I could not recall ever being muted, suspended, or banned, even temporarily.
They did not allow for an appeal to the ban, I was in the middle of having a conversation with a moderator from another subreddit and informed him of the bans. I didn't have a clue what the ban was for or what I was supposed to do next but, the discussion we were having was about the same link I had posted earlier on his subreddit.
I initially replied to my ban by going to the subreddit page and clicking on the "message the moderators" link above their showcase in the sidebar. That was my first mistake, apparently. I was contacted immediately and told to ask about my ban by replying to the initial ban notice.
I asked them why I was banned and if it had anything to do with the link I was now suspicious of. As I was waiting for their response, I posted in the subreddit where I was talking to the other moderator through a public reply that I had been banned and I think it may have had something to do with the link in question and that I would try to let them know the details. I got an immediate response from the moderation team at r/news saying that I was already seeking help from another subreddit and good luck. Strike two...
At first, I didn't understand what they were talking about. The mistake was publicly posting about being banned on another subreddit with a moderator outside of their team.
Then I noticed upon returning to my inbox, that I wasn't getting a response from r/inthenews at all. Turns out, the moderation teams for r/inthenews are also on the r/news moderation team. I'm sure that they were upset at the fact that I was "double dipping" into their appeal bowl. Strike three...
At this point, I started to shake uncontrollably due to severe anxiety and depression. I could barely type out anything to even get a response. I was literally shaken at the fact that I had been instantly and permanently banned from two extremely popular news subreddits without being given a reason, a chance at an appeal, hardly even an open discussion about the situation at this point either.
Finally, after approximately an hour of communicating and asking for a response, in return all I got was, a message telling me that I have been banned for spam, their decision on the matter was closed, and do not contact them again.
Unbeknownst to the moderators, I don't lay down and play dead very well.
I immediately replied and asked if they thought they were appropriately punishing me, seems how I didn't even get a warning first. They responded by muting me for 72 hours. I couldn't believe this was the way that Reddit moderates their bread and butter subreddits.
I looked back at the previous links, posts, and messages to see if I had made any mistakes. I did make honest harmless mistakes, with the exception of the alleged initial link which, the harm done is real only in the eyes of the moderation team and still up for debate if and what damage it truly caused.
The moderation teams deleted the posts they deemed as spam, banned me from their subreddits, and blocked all lines of communication with me.
Looking back at this event, I realize the proven mistakes that caused any real harm were this:
The moderators banning me without first giving any warnings. I posted the exact same link to several subreddits, only two of them saw it fit to instantly and permanently ban me without first giving an actual reason. I myself deleted the same link and all related posts on the other subreddits, only after the moderators of r/humanrights gave a flair style label to the link.
The moderators banning me without giving any proof of a spam offense. Spam is publicly defined as a gray area by Reddit administrators, so they ultimately give the power to the moderation teams to determine what is and isn't spam for each individual subreddit. I would like to state for the record, that during the period of time I was found guilty of spam, I had Reddit gold benefits on my account. I had earned them prior, through a Reddit advertisement banner. What kind of spammer would take the time to pursue Reddit gold in any way, fashion, or form?
Reddit administrators allowing moderation priveledges to be held by essentially one moderation team over two nearly identical news-related subreddits. News-related subreddits are something that no one person under any minor circumstance should be banned from, much less two news-related subreddits.
Reddit administrators allowing moderators to make their own individual rules and guidelines on how to handle bans. Two subreddits banned me, one subreddit simply marked the same link, and the other subreddits did nothing at all.
Reddit administrators stating that spam is not only a subreddit bannable offense but, a site-wide bannable offense yet, for whatever reason(s), not holding me accountable for such reported infraction.
The biggest and most offensive pain that I suffered though, was knowing that in the process of attempting to share information about a horrific global event committed against humans, men much like myself, I was silenced and prevented from freely speaking out loud about it on Reddit.
I'm sure that the Reddit moderators and administrators involved were not completely and fully aware of the fact that, I myself am openly gay but, you can look at my history and see proof.
To post a link on subreddits that are daily, constantly being bombarded with stories about how the current Trump administration seems dangerously similar to fascist government regimes of the past, and then for them to turn around and follow this path, speaks volumes as to what Reddit has become for me. Another poorly disguised cesspool on "the front page of the internet" for everyone to see, that is in need of a good thorough cleaning.
I immediately did what most people who frequent the internet would do upon finding a huge news-worthy story. I signed onto Reddit and I started to share the link over several subreddits, most of them LGBTQ-related but, only two news-related.
After I had posted the link to the two news-related subreddits (r/news and r/inthenews), I immediately received messages in my inbox informing me that I had been banned from both subreddits permanently. I have been on the internet in some way, form, or fashion for a very long time and I could not recall ever being muted, suspended, or banned, even temporarily.
They did not allow for an appeal to the ban, I was in the middle of having a conversation with a moderator from another subreddit and informed him of the bans. I didn't have a clue what the ban was for or what I was supposed to do next but, the discussion we were having was about the same link I had posted earlier on his subreddit.
I initially replied to my ban by going to the subreddit page and clicking on the "message the moderators" link above their showcase in the sidebar. That was my first mistake, apparently. I was contacted immediately and told to ask about my ban by replying to the initial ban notice.
I asked them why I was banned and if it had anything to do with the link I was now suspicious of. As I was waiting for their response, I posted in the subreddit where I was talking to the other moderator through a public reply that I had been banned and I think it may have had something to do with the link in question and that I would try to let them know the details. I got an immediate response from the moderation team at r/news saying that I was already seeking help from another subreddit and good luck. Strike two...
At first, I didn't understand what they were talking about. The mistake was publicly posting about being banned on another subreddit with a moderator outside of their team.
Then I noticed upon returning to my inbox, that I wasn't getting a response from r/inthenews at all. Turns out, the moderation teams for r/inthenews are also on the r/news moderation team. I'm sure that they were upset at the fact that I was "double dipping" into their appeal bowl. Strike three...
At this point, I started to shake uncontrollably due to severe anxiety and depression. I could barely type out anything to even get a response. I was literally shaken at the fact that I had been instantly and permanently banned from two extremely popular news subreddits without being given a reason, a chance at an appeal, hardly even an open discussion about the situation at this point either.
Finally, after approximately an hour of communicating and asking for a response, in return all I got was, a message telling me that I have been banned for spam, their decision on the matter was closed, and do not contact them again.
Unbeknownst to the moderators, I don't lay down and play dead very well.
I immediately replied and asked if they thought they were appropriately punishing me, seems how I didn't even get a warning first. They responded by muting me for 72 hours. I couldn't believe this was the way that Reddit moderates their bread and butter subreddits.
I looked back at the previous links, posts, and messages to see if I had made any mistakes. I did make honest harmless mistakes, with the exception of the alleged initial link which, the harm done is real only in the eyes of the moderation team and still up for debate if and what damage it truly caused.
The moderation teams deleted the posts they deemed as spam, banned me from their subreddits, and blocked all lines of communication with me.
Looking back at this event, I realize the proven mistakes that caused any real harm were this:
The moderators banning me without first giving any warnings. I posted the exact same link to several subreddits, only two of them saw it fit to instantly and permanently ban me without first giving an actual reason. I myself deleted the same link and all related posts on the other subreddits, only after the moderators of r/humanrights gave a flair style label to the link.
The moderators banning me without giving any proof of a spam offense. Spam is publicly defined as a gray area by Reddit administrators, so they ultimately give the power to the moderation teams to determine what is and isn't spam for each individual subreddit. I would like to state for the record, that during the period of time I was found guilty of spam, I had Reddit gold benefits on my account. I had earned them prior, through a Reddit advertisement banner. What kind of spammer would take the time to pursue Reddit gold in any way, fashion, or form?
Reddit administrators allowing moderation priveledges to be held by essentially one moderation team over two nearly identical news-related subreddits. News-related subreddits are something that no one person under any minor circumstance should be banned from, much less two news-related subreddits.
Reddit administrators allowing moderators to make their own individual rules and guidelines on how to handle bans. Two subreddits banned me, one subreddit simply marked the same link, and the other subreddits did nothing at all.
Reddit administrators stating that spam is not only a subreddit bannable offense but, a site-wide bannable offense yet, for whatever reason(s), not holding me accountable for such reported infraction.
The biggest and most offensive pain that I suffered though, was knowing that in the process of attempting to share information about a horrific global event committed against humans, men much like myself, I was silenced and prevented from freely speaking out loud about it on Reddit.
I'm sure that the Reddit moderators and administrators involved were not completely and fully aware of the fact that, I myself am openly gay but, you can look at my history and see proof.
To post a link on subreddits that are daily, constantly being bombarded with stories about how the current Trump administration seems dangerously similar to fascist government regimes of the past, and then for them to turn around and follow this path, speaks volumes as to what Reddit has become for me. Another poorly disguised cesspool on "the front page of the internet" for everyone to see, that is in need of a good thorough cleaning.
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